Once upon a time there were great kettles, for a relatively high price. More affordable alternatives with less integrity were created and higher priced kettles

Once upon a time there were great kettles, for a relatively high price. More affordable alternatives with less integrity were created and higher priced kettles were forced out of the market because they generated smaller margins. It's similar to undercutting prices with neighborhood coffeeshops: with all the other coffeeshops gone, the remaining one gets all the business. Coffee has short-term value that is about the same no matter the cup of coffee; in my opinion a cup of coffee does not have a long-term value in economic-terms. A kettle has short-term value and long-term value, but consumers are judging the price of the kettle not on a pro-rated per annum value for how long the kettle actually lasts, but on the immediate pricetag. If a kettle is $200 but lasts 20 years, that's $10/year. If a kettle is $20 but lasts 6 months, that's actually $40/year. Just-in-time construction meets disposable-goods culture and all the good kettles are gone.